Sorrel-Onion Pie

So my mind wanders…imagine that.


Remeber those little yellow flowered plants we used to love to chew on when we were kids?  Our face would screw up from the tartness, but we had to do it.  Well, somehow, a conversation about those sour little sorrels we used to pick out of the woods as kids…turned into this:

I've found that we herb loving people tend to get to caught up in tinctures.

Don't get me wrong, I make a few myself, particularly for those herbs that I just `hate' the taste of (Valerian being one…). However, I much prefer eating and working with the fresh, whole plant, if possible. Part of being healthy is the `emotional factor'. Taking pride in what you have gathered and grown, sitting and partaking a meal (hopefully with friends and loved ones), sipping a bit of a home made fruit brandy after. These things fill us with a sense of `well being` and helps drop the level of stress hormones such as cortisol. Finding joy in our daily lives would be a big step toward maintaining a balanced homeostasis and prevent the need to `fix' it after the fact.

Additionally, the whole fresh plant offers us so much more than just the few compounds that are dissolved by the solvents of alcohol and water. I often wonder what we are missing when we add a dropper full of tincture to water?  What lovely bit of magic wasn't released in my glass mason jar and instead ended up in my compost heap?


I often find wild sorrel when I'm out and about in the spring. There are also a variety or two tucked into many peoples herb gardens. The name `sorrel' covers several species, some of which are true sorrels, but some are not. In my neck of the woods it's Rumex hastulatus , but your area may have an Oxalis species (or two)  that people refer to as sorrel. All `sorrels' have oxalic acid. Very simply put, oxalic acid binds with calcium and can cause irreversible damage in the kidneys. There is also evidence that large amounts can interfere with some liver function. As in all things, use with moderation. But it's lemony taste is hard to resist, especially after a winter filled with canned vegetables.

And so, off to the woods I go. Honestly, most of what I find never makes it home. It's my snack, my lunch, my pick me up, my afternoon tea. But once in awhile, I share (wink). This tart is one of my families favorites.
When you start cooking , don't become alarmed at the appearance of the sauted sorrel. I promise, the ending will be happy.
I love it with goat cheese, but feel free to substitute any strong flavored cheese. And don't get hung up on exact amounts.



Onion Sorrel Tart



Ingredients:

2 large sweet onions

4 Tbs butter

2 cps sorrel (de-stemmed and coarsely chopped)

A couple of handfuls of crumbled goat cheese. Or whatever cheese you have,

shredded.

2 eggs

1 cup heavy cream or whole milk or skim milk or whatever it is that you use.

1 partially prebaked pie shell

pepper to taste

Directions:

Thinly slice onions and sauté in 3 Tbs butter until soft. (Someone once

suggested that I should let the onions caramelize, but frankly I'm too

impatient.) Sauté sorrel in 1 Tbs melted butter until they turn a grayish green

(not long, a few minutes at the most). Combine eggs and cream in a large bowl,

add a handful of cheese, the sorrel and the onions. Season with pepper.

Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the bottom of the tart shell and pour filling

in. Bake at 375 F for 35-45 mins., or until tart is set.